sáx
gaff hook
ehsáx
she or he is hooking, gaffing
syn hook
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gaff
sáx
gaff hook
ehsáx
she or he is hooking, gaffing
syn hook
gag
see choke
gain
(weight)
na'alk'ax
she or he gained weight
gall bladder
shtl'éts
my gall bladder
ch'etl'éts
an animal's gall bladder
gamble
nachihłeek
I am gambling
gap
(crack)
niłk'ée xúu'ąą
a gap in something
niłk'ée dálneyh
something fell in a gap
gape
see stare
gasp
(for breath)
shiits úkah etsheyh
she or he is gasping for breath
gather
see pick
gathering
niłshíixatdeetl
people are gathered together
George Creek
Nxaal Ndiig
literally 'whitefish creek'
Gerstle River
Ts'iitsiiy Ndiig
\de
get
see haul
get away
én'
get away, go away
get out
tîinindaayh
get out, leave!
én' tîinindaayh
get out of here!
get up
dég déníltsiit
get up (lift yourself up)
dég ni'idhinhaayh
rise!, get up! (from sitting or laying down)
ghost
mink'âadz
ghost, spirit of someone deceased
ch'eshǐig'
ghost
also reflection, photograph
gift
kǎay'
memento, gift
jâan dú' kǎay' íl'ee
this is just a memento
syn present
also souvenir, keepsake
giggle
nadlokdach'etnel'iik
she or he is giggling
nadlokdach'etnel'iik ts'į́' me'ishdeyh
I know they're laughing (at me)
gill
wuk'es
fish gills
girl
ts'éxeh gaay
young girl
t'êd
adolescent girl (teenager)
girlfriend
wu'éł natihdaag
my girlfriend, boyfriend, companion
literally 'the one I usually go around with'
also boyfriend
give
(hand to)
ntl'á'ih'aayh
I am giving it to you
Different words are used depending on the type of
object or if more than one object is being handled.
The same basic set of Tanacross words are used in
slightly different forms for English action words
"give", "there is", "carry", "pick up", "put down"
More than one of any object
eek shtl'á'indlah
you give me the coats
eek ntl'á'ghíhdlah
I gave you the coats
One compact object
tthee gaay shtl'ánín'aayh
give me the small rock
tthee gaay ntl'á'ghíh'ąą
I gave you the little rock
One long and skinny object (like a pencil)
k'á' shtl'á'íntiiyh
give me the gun
k'á' n1tl'ághíhtąą
I gave you the gun
One pourable object (in a container)
tuu shtl'á'ínkaayh
give me the water (in a cup)
tuu ntl'ághíhkąą
I gave you the water
One flat, flexible object
eek shtl'á'į́hchuuth
give me the shirt
eek ntl'ághékchuuth
I gave you the shirt
One (ready to eat) chunk of food
má' shtl'á'į́hchuut
give me the dry fish
má' n1tl'ághekchúut
I gave you the dry fish
One living object (like a puppy or baby)
ts'enîin gaay shtl'á'į́hteeyh
give me the baby
ts'enîin gaay ntl'ághéktęę
I gave you the baby
Since 'giving' includes a 'giver' and a 'receiver', the number
of possible combinations is large. Below are examples
using the 'gave one compact object' word.
tthee gaay wutl'á'níhdlah
I gave him/her the small rocks
tthee gaay yitl'áníndlah
she or he gave him or her the small rocks
tthee gaay wutl'áts'enindlah
we gave him/her the small rocks
tthee gaay shtl'áxníndlah
they gave me the small rocks
tthee gaay xuutl'áníhdlah
I gave them the small rocks
tthee gaay neetl'áníndlah
you gave us the small rock
A different word can be used to emphasize handing
something quickly
shtl'adintsiit
hand it (something long, like a pencil) to me fast
give me
Implies the desire for someone to physically hand something
to the speaker.
nde'
give it to me
seey nde'
give me the knife
tth'áak n1de'
give me the plate
glacier
łuut ddheł
glad
shaa sųų́' delsháak
I glad she or he did that, I'm proud of what she or he did
Glaman Lake
Dlaa Měnn'
literally 'algae lake'
glance
łdatédhék-'ęę
I glanced at him or her
glare
see stare
glide
see soar
glimpse
tdédhék-'ęę
I got a glimpse of him, her or it
yitdéh-'ęę
he got a glimpse of him, her or it
aatthúug dáshee tashaay yitdeh'ęę
I just got a glimpse of it down there
gloves
laajeyh
modern gloves with fingers
jeyh
mittens
deshoz jeyh
old time mittens with fur inside
glued
xetnelt'etth
it is stuck, glued on
glutton
wumét maa dint'eh
she or he is a glutton, eats too much
gnat
xołgodz
gnaw
yidehk'on
he, she or it is gnawing on it
tth'enh dehk'on
he, she or it is gnawing a bone
dexú' déhchiits
it is gnawing its teeth
go
There are many words used for talking about "coming and
going" Words listed here do not specifically refer to the
manner or form of transportation.
Dihthâad ts'į́' ghíhhaał
I'm going (right now) to Mansfield
| ghihhaał | ts'aadéł |
| ghinhaał | ghahdéł |
| aahaał | xaadéł |
ch'utkeet shax ts'į́' ts'aadéł
we are going to the store
| tedhihshah | ts'eedeetl |
| tedhinshah | tedhahdeetl |
| teeshah | xteedeetl |
Fairbanks ts'į́' téeshah
she or he went to Fairbanks
tâatétshah
he went home
| tihhaał | ts'aadeł |
| tinhaał | tahdeł |
| taahaał | xtaadeł |
dzeen Fairbanks ts'į́' tíhhaał, tl'âan teddh dé' natihdaał
today I'm going to go to Fairbanks, then I'll return tonight
tâatihdaał
I'm going home
natihdaał
I'll be leaving here
in forms where 'returning' is implied, the 'h' in the final
syllable of this verb changes to 'd'
go home
tâaghindaał
you go home!
go out
(extinguish)
natnétdek
it went out (on its own)
kón' natnétdek
the fire went out (by itself)
gobble
yeltthúux
she or he gobbled it, stuffed it in
God
T'axdį́ht'eey
golden
delmeets
it is golden colored
goldeneye
(duck)
tthí'k'ą̂ąy
\de
good
The Tanacross words can translate into English as 'well,
good', 'nice' depending on what is being described.
ihsųų
I'm well
| ihsųų | ts'insųų |
| insųų | ahsųų |
| nsųų | xinsųų |
nsųų
it (a thing) is good
xunsųų
it (a place, weather) is good
nah'ôg xunsųų
it's nice outside
mesuuxų́ht'eey
a nice person
good luck
see lucky
good time
nendiig
Goodpaster River
Jîiz Ndiig
literally 'camprobber river'
goofy
tsąą'el'ęę
she or he is goofy, clowning around
goose
xah
lesser Canada goose
(Branta canadensis parvipes)
dąąxed
cackling Canada goose
(Branta canadensis minima)
goose grass
taaguuth
grass growing out of water around the edge of lakes
goshawk
jîiz chox
(Accipiter gentilis)
gossip
ch'aghaxunheeyh
they are gossiping about someone
grab
yihchúut
she or he grabbed it
| ídhekchúut ts'íhchúut | |
| ídhįhchúut | ídhahchúut |
| yíhchúut | xiyíhchúut |
shch'ěl' ídhekchúut
I grabbed my clothes
grandchild
Tanacross has different words for referring to a man's
grandchild or a women's grandchild. The word to use is
that appropriate for the grandparent, not the speaker.
shchâay
my grandchild (women's)
shtthûuy
my grandchild (man's)
grandfather
stsêey
my grandfather
grandmother
stsųų
my grandmother
łaan éł stsųų
my mother's mother
The term for 'mother's mother' is a more respectful term.
grass
tl'ox
grass
taagúuth
goose grass
grasshopper
nahtên gaay
literally 'little thunder'
grateful
tsíná'ęę de'ishłęę
I am grateful
grave
tth'enh k'ée
gravel
thaayh
also sand
gravel bar in river
thaayh ts'enin'ah
gray
delmaay
the gray one
delmaa
it is gray
gray-haired
tthí' gęyh
tthiitnitgaay
grayling
seejel
(Thymallus arcticus)
grease
xee
grease
syn lard, shortening
elxęę
it is greasy, rich
ch'ekaa elxęę
fat is greasy
xee tlok
it is soaked through with grease
great person
diichâagh
syn respect
great uncle
stsêey
my maternal great uncle (grandmother's brother)
great-grand child
shchaay wuts'3níin' chíh shchaay nłęę
my great-grandchild (women's)
shtthuuy wuts'eníin' chíh shtthuuy nłęę
my great-grandchild (man's)
grebe
ts'el
red necked grebe
(Podiceps grisegena)
red necked
then
horned
green
The same Tanacross word covers the colors blue through
green.
deldlêedz
green, blue
sheen tah tl'ox deldléets
in summer the grass is green
also blue
green wood
tsets dehtsel
green-winged teal
tuhtsêdl
(Anas crecca)
grey
see gray
grey jay
jîiz
(Perisoreous canadensis)
syn jay, camprobber
grizzly bear
ch'eliitthogh'
(Urus arctos)
grosbeak
(bird)
kelahtuud
(Pinicola enucleator)
syn pine grosbeak
ground
nén'
ground hog
k'ąąy
(Marmaota caligata)
syn marmot
ground squirrel
tthel
syn arctic ground squirrel
(Spermophilus parryii)
group
(people)
dendeey iin
grouse
deyh
spruce grouse
(Falcipennis canadensis )
syn spruce hen
ch'ehtêeg
sharp-tailed grouse
(Tympanuchus phasianellus)
tsą́ą' ts'uug
ruffed grouse
(Bonasa umbelllus)
grow
(plants)
nesheex
tl'ox nesheegh
plants are growing
grow up
nédhíhshąą
I grew up
néeshąą
she or he grew up
growl
łii ch'utnehxonh
a dog is growling
grudge
yets'ídél'ah
she or he has a grudge against him or her
grumble
see mumble
guard
nach'udah'ę́'ę
also police
nayudah'ę́ę'
she or he is guarding him/her/it
guest
soojee
invited potlatch guest
guide
nayitne'aax
she or he is guiding him/her around
gull
mehk'ą̂ąy
mew gull
(Larus canus)
syn seagull
mehk'ą̂ąy chox
herring gull
(Larus argentatus)
tthí' tsaan
Bonaparte's gull
gully
xosk'ée
also pit, hole
syn ditch
gum
(pitch)
dzéex
syn pitch
dzéex nekk'éts
I am popping, snapping gum (as I chew)
gums
shxutthěn'
my gums
gun
k'á'
syn rifle
k'á' k'iig
gunsite
gunny sack
tl'ox théth
tl'ox saak
gush
xá'átshos
it gushed, spewed out
gust
xâa'elts'eyh
it is gusty, wind comes and goes
guts
(animal)
ch'ets'ǐig'
guzzle
tilgóts
you are guzzling it, drinking it quickly
natnatk'êddh tth'eh tilgots!
drink it up before it cools down!
tédheggóts
I gulped it, drank it quickly
tédhilgóts
you gulped it, drank it quickly
gyrfalcon
tantsiił
(Falco rusticolus)
jîiz chox
gyrfalcon
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